My Name Is Jonas Explained

My Name Is Jonas
Cover:My Name Is Jonas Promo CD.png
Type:promo
Artist:Weezer
Album:Weezer (The Blue Album)
Released:May 10, 1994
Recorded:August–September 1993 at Electric Lady Studios, NYC
Genre:
Length:3:24
Label:DGC
Producer:Ric Ocasek

"My Name Is Jonas" is a song by the American rock band Weezer. It is the first track on the band's self-titled 1994 debut album, also known as The Blue Album as well as being the only promotional single off of the album. It was written by guitarist/vocalist Rivers Cuomo, drummer Patrick Wilson and guitarist Jason Cropper, and produced by Ric Ocasek. Cropper wrote the song's acoustic intro; it is one of his only Weezer songwriting credits, as he left the band before the release of its first album.[3]

Background

The song was inspired by Cuomo's brother, who was having insurance problems after a serious car crash while at college. According to Cuomo, the song "explains how The Plan is reaming us all, especially my brother."[4] [5]

"My Name Is Jonas" was written in the key of B major.[6] However, as the song is played with guitars tuned a half-step down, it is played as if it were in the key of C.

Reception

Melissa Bobbitt at LiveAbout named "My Name is Jonas" the seventh best Weezer song, writing that its lyric "the workers are going home" was "a righteous way to kick off a weekend".[2] Michael Gallucci from Diffuser named it the third best Weezer song.[7] In his 2010 book , Scott Miller describes the song as "musicality everywhere, theatrical dynamics, little golden lyric details where the subplot reveals the whole mood."[8]

In other media

This song is featured in the video game as a playable track, and was released as a downloadable song for the Rock Band series[9] and Rocksmith 2014.

Covers

Affinity covered the song on the album .[10]

In 2021, Taking Back Sunday released a cover of the song as a single.[11]

Personnel

Notes and References

  1. Web site: September 4, 2020. Top 30 American Classic Rock Bands of the '90s. December 4, 2021. Ultimate Classic Rock.
  2. Web site: Bobbitt. Melissa. Top 13 Weezer Songs. December 4, 2021. LiveAbout.
  3. Luerssen D., John. Rivers' Edge: The Weezer Story. ECW Press, 2004, p. 61
  4. Book: Luerssen, John D. Rivers' Edge: The Weezer Story. ECW Press. 2004. 1550226193. 110–111.
  5. Runtagh. Jordan. May 10, 2019. Weezer's Blue Album: 10 Things You Didn't Know. Rolling Stone.
  6. Web site: My Name Is Jonas. Musicnotes.com. 1994.
  7. Web site: Gallucci. Michael. January 20, 2013. 10 Best Weezer Songs. August 15, 2014. Diffuser.fm.
  8. Book: Miller, Scott. Music: What Happened?. 2010. 125 Books. 978-0-615-38196-1. August 19, 2014.
  9. Holden . Tom . October 2007 . Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock: Rock Your Way to the Top . Independent PlayStation Magazine . 128 . 26.
  10. Web site: Semioli. Tom. Rock Music: A Tribute to Weezer - Various Artists - Songs, Reviews, Credits. December 30, 2014. AllMusic.
  11. Web site: Lavin. Will. October 18, 2021. Taking Back Sunday share cover of Weezer's 'My Name Is Jonas'. October 19, 2021. NME.